Using GIS and Remote Sensing to Manage North Atlantic Right Whale Populations Eleni Gesch-Karamanlidis

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1 Using GIS and Remote Sensing to Manage North Atlantic Right Whale Populations Eleni Gesch-Karamanlidis Northern Right whales remain one of the most endangered mammals in the ocean (Ward-Geiger et al 2005, Green and Pershing, 2004). With the current population at around 300, projections show this marine mammal will be extinct in the next 200 years (NOAA website). Northern Right whales migrate from their calving grounds off the southern coast of Georgia and Florida to feeding grounds off the coast of New England and Newfoundland. Their migration routes travel through busy shipping lanes (Garrison et al 2005). Ship strikes affect the survival of right whales more than pollution, climate change, and predators (NOAA website). Research aimed at protecting this dwindling species makes use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing. GIS is a collection of computer hardware and software tools used to enter, edit, store, manipulate and display geographically referenced data. This data is usually expressed with maps. Remote sensing is the art, science, and technology of obtaining reliable information about physical objects and the environment. This is done through the process of recording, measuring, and interpreting imagery and digital representations of energy patterns derived from non-contact sensor systems (NRS ). The complexity of right whale conservation is well suited for GIS software. Trying to understand how climate and sea temperatures play a role in when right whales decide to migrate up the East coast, can be visualized with overlay techniques. GIS combines different datasets so that the end user can manipulate the data and extract various features to answer research questions. Dr. Robert Kenney, in his 2000 study co-authored with Weinrich and Hamilton, examined data collected from a survey on the Nova Scotia shelf, whale watch cruises, and other researcher s previous work. They were able to find trends in the types of right whale groups most sighted per season in certain areas. They were also able to announce their study ground, Jeffrey s Ledge, as an important Right whale habitat worthy of further study (Weinrich et al 2000). Because of this research, the NMFS can decide how to best regulate the fishing and shipping in this area. Aerial surveys, satellite surveys and satellite tracking have all been used to remotely sense North Atlantic right whales (Schick 2002). Satellite imagery is most accurate and allows one to study the movement of right whales through a large space. Given the expanse of the right whale s natural migratory patterns, remote sensing provides a cost-effective and efficient alternative to direct observation. [Remote sensing] technologies are invaluable because of their ability to provide continuous largescale spatial and temporal coverage (Burtenshaw et al, 2002). Using GIS and remote sensing, scientists are able to learn more about the factors that affect right whale group dynamics, foraging habits and seasonal migration. Satellite-monitored radio transmitters and imagery provide date that shows right whales movements depend on areas with warm core rings and upwelling; areas rich in

2 plankton. Satellite transmitters utilize remote sensing systems such as ARGOS to track tagged whales and record their positions (Mate et al, 1992). In 2005, Keller found that measuring sea surface temperature can predict which areas will have higher right whale concentrations. These conclusions were reached by using AVHRR imagery to track sea surface temperature and aerial surveys to monitor Right whale locations in the study site (Keller 2005). GIS was crucial in the study of one right whale s journey up the East coast in Scientists noticed that the whale did not follow its usual route to the Gulf of Maine, possibly affected by the presence of humans. GIS software allowed them to import several data sets after which Slay and Kraus noticed a deviation in foraging behavior when humans were near (Schick 2002). The application of data retrieved using GIS and remote sensing is important because it provides accurate data to federal and state agencies that can create more effective ocean policy and regulations (Green and Pershing, 2004). The National Marine Fisheries Service s (NMFS) Seasonal Area Management (SAM) zones regulate fishing and shipping activities in areas with predictable right whale concentrations. SAM zones are designated by measuring factors such as sea surface temperature and primary production (Burtenshaw et al, 2004). Recent extensions to the Gulf of Maine SAM zone used NOAA aerial surveys taken between 1999 and 2003 to pinpoint areas that were easily predictable of right whale concentrations. The aerial surveys also led to a change in the shipping lane scheme entering Boston, which might reduce the number of ship strikes in that area (Merrick 2005). The Northern Right Whale Consortium meets every year to address conservation developments such as shifting shipping lanes and fishing gear modifications (ACS website).in July of 2007 such a traffic shift was implemented to reduce the number of vessel collisions with Right whales. NOAA and USGS, the principle governmental institutions that headed the effort, used spatial and temporal information to decide which alternative route would achieve the expected 58% reduction in ship collisions (NOAA website). GIS and remote sensing also assists in the NMFS Mandatory Ship Reporting Program for all large ships passing through critical whale habitat. Ship tracks over a one year time span were mapped using ArcView GIS. Data on right whale habitat areas were imported into the GIS system and mapped in a polygon union with the ship track data. This resulted in mapping areas with heavy ship traffic in right whale habitats: Boston, Portland, ME and Nova Scotia (Silber et al, 2002). It is evident, from the above referenced research that spatial and temporal distribution data is needed to implement programs and monitor their progress in subsequent years. Several studies were found that could have better application in right whale conservation if they made use of current remote sensing technology. L.P. Garrison, in his 2005 study on Right whale ship collisions, used a spatial model of Right whale distribution to recommend alternative shipping lanes approaching Jacksonville, FL (Garrison 2005). However, the study did not consider the navigational safety of these proposed routes or the volume of ships leaving Jacksonville. Using satellite images and aerial surveys, considerations should be made on the channel depth, marine obstacles, and proximity to other busy ports of these lane shifts. One recommendation to conduct aerial surveys on ports from Block Island, RI to Savannah, GA (Russell 2000) could be

3 improved by using satellites instead since they have become more accessible to the general public and provide data more efficiently. GIS and remote sensing can also help remove some of the unknowns in right whale research. One-third of the known population does not migrate to New England or the Bay of Fundy in the summer, a fact that perplexes scientists who have not yet figured out where these missing whales feed. This gap in data represents a limitation in remote sensing Right whales. In order to use AVHRR imagery, researchers need to know the general area of their study subjects. So, remote sensing is not used to find the Right whales, but rather to zoom in on an area where they are located, to gain spatial and temporal information (Kenney, 2008). Ocean transportation plays an important role in international trade, making shipping a valuable human activity (Talley 2000). Humans do not have the capability to communicate with whales, making a change in human behavior the only way to increase the right whale s chance of survival in dangerous shipping lanes. Long term monitoring, increased cohesion within the scientific community and studies of humanright whale interactions are all critical for the long term survival of this species (Green and Pershing, 2004). The efforts of many agencies, special interest groups, and researchers to do this has been met with much controversy but benefit from the accurate data that GIS and remote sensing can provide. In the future, I see GIS and remote sensing continuing as important tools to monitor right whale population size and distribution. Unfortunately, I do not think these marine mammals are struggling because of a lack in technology. Rather, I think the issue is that companies moving freight through the ocean find it too cost inhibitive to worry about right whales. Longer routes, slower speeds and lookouts translate into higher costs and lower profits for them. They are not the only problem. The general public tends to focus their conservation efforts on those species that evoke an emotional response in us. I think the challenge in the future will be to bring about a change in the attitude of the public, both corporations and citizens, to respect our environment as a whole system, not just certain species. If we chose to live in a moneydriven global community, we might not be able to save species such as the North Atlantic right whale that inhabit waters with great economical significance.

4 References Application of Remote Sensing Methods for Tracking Large Cetaceans: North Atlantic Right Whales Mate, Bruce R. et al. Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, for U.S. Department of the Interior Applying a spatial model to evaluate the risk of interactions between vessels and Right whales in the southeast United States critical habitat. Garrison, L.P Southeast Fisheries Science Center Assessment of resource selection using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) for two vertebrates in disparate habitats: The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) and the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) Keller, Cherie A. Dissertation for University of South Florida, 2005 August, Peter and Y.Q. Wang. GIS / Remote Sensing. In class notes, Fall 2008 Entanglements Johnson, Tora. University of Florida Press pgs 51, GIS Presentation of Survey Tracklines, Right Whale Sightings and Right Whale Movements: Kenney, Robert D. et al. PowerPoint Presentation at New England Aquarium, Boston, MA. Identification of Seasonal Management Zones for North Atlantic Right Whale Conservation. Merrick et al. National Marine Fisheries Service, 2001 Kenney, Robert D. Private Conversation. November 24, 2008 North Atlantic Right Whale. National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources. November < mals /cetaceans/rightwhale_northatlantic.htm.> North Atlantic Right Whales in Crisis. Kraus et al. Science, July 2005, Vol. 309, pgs Recommended Measures to Reduce Ship Strikes of North Atlantic Right Whales. Russel, Bruce A. Submitted to National Marine Fisheries Service, 2001 Seasonal Management Areas to Reduce Ship Strikes of Northern Right Whales in the Gulf of Maine. Merrick, Richard L. Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document 05-19, 2005 Ship Traffic Patterns in Right Whale Habitat: Year One of the Mandatory Reporting System. Silber et al, National Marine Fisheries Service, 2002

5 Using GIS to Track Right Whales and Bluefin Tuna in the Atlantic Ocean. Schick, Rob. From Undersea with GIS Edited by Wright, Dawn J. ESRI Press pgs Annotated Bibliography Acoustic and satellite remote sensing of blue whale seasonality and habitat in the Northeast Pacific. Burtenshaw et al. Deep-Sea Research II, 2004, Vol. 51, pgs Though my paper focused on right whales, I found this research on blue whales showed how involved GIS and remote sensing technology have become with marine mammal research. Burtenshaw et al isolated one factor that affects baleen whale distribution and abundance: plankton. They hypothesized that blue whale movement would coincide with the yearly plankton bloom. To test this, they using satellites to monitor the whales movement over the course of a year and then superimposed their mapped date set on the yearly cycle of plankton growth in their study site. Their findings helped remove some of the unknowns about blue whales off the Californian coast. Similar gaps in data exist on the east coast for right whales, whose movements are not fully understood. This paper attempted to predict where blue whales could be found by looking at years of previous data taken on their migration routes. I felt the research was a great example of GIS capability to store data and then selectively extract different parts of the data set depending on the research question. Characterization of Ship Traffic in Right Whale Critical Habitat. Ward-Geiger et al. Coastal Management, 2005, Vol. 33, pgs NMFS and USGS mandate that large ships report their locations to one of several reporting stations off the east coast. To see whether this system was reducing the number of ship-whale collisions, Ward-Geiger et al used archived data showing the track lines of ships on the east coast to determine their routes and whether they were following the required reporting mandates. To do this, the researchers used ArcGIS and denoted track lines as either simple or descriptive, depending on how much information was reported to the station. Tracks were mapped to more easily observe areas with greater shipping traffic. These trends were translated to a raster map showing ship density. Within the raster map, some cells denoted high use areas while others indicated low use. The results therefore showed that shipping traffic was not evenly distributed in the management area. Ward-Geiger et al concluded that the heaviest shipping traffic occurred around Boston, MA, Portland, ME and Saint John, New Brunswick. I found this article to be helpful but slightly predictable in its conclusions. Climate and the conservation biology of North Atlantic right whales: The right whale at the wrong time? Green, Charles H and Andrew J Pershing. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 2004, Vol. 2, No. 1, pgs 29-34

6 I think this was the most important paper used in my research. Green and Pershing examined the known and unknown aspects of right whale research and different anthropogenic effects they feel have caused populations to suffer. Compounding the harsh effects of shipping traffic and fishing effort, they note that right whales are slow to reproduce and grow, making it harder for these animals to overcome population declines. To write this paper, I wanted to understand more than the use of technology to get data. I wanted to understand how this data was used by decision makers to change human behavior. Though this paper did not specifically mention remote sensing or GIS, it did get my mind working about ways these technologies have been utilized and ways in which they can further help the issue. Green and Pershing s message is clear: humans affect the oceans in a variety of ways, some with more lasting effects than others. They empower the reader by remaining hopeful that much can be done. North Atlantic Right Whale Distribution in Relation to Sea-Surface Temperature in the Southeastern United States Calving Grounds Keller, Cherie A., et al Marine Mammal Science; April 2006, Vol. 22, Issue 2, pgs In this paper, Keller et al used aerial surveys to find a correlation between sea-surface temperature and North Atlantic right whale distribution. Their study focused on calving grounds located off the southeastern coast of the US. These calving grounds encompass many ports, military activity and fishing vessels and were in need of a better predicting system of right whale concentrations. Keller et al found that the shifting of the Gulf Stream from year to year created warm core rings that could delineate areas where the whales were most likely to aggregate. I found this article helpful because the research team employed GPS and aerial surveys to retrieve data on the whales movements. They stored and manipulated data using ARC-ESRI GIS. With the software, they were able to add buffers around the observed routes seen by plane to represent their total survey area. They also used AVHRR imagery which they corrected for atmospheric distortion with the help of NOAA. This article was a good continuation of Keller s dissertation, which I also used as a reference. Ocean Container Shipping: Impacts of a Technological Improvement. Talley, Wayne K. Journal of Economical Issues, 2000, Vol. 34, No. 4, pgs Early on, I decided I would focus on the effects of ship strikes on right whales. Talley s research gave me a better handle on the political, social, and economical implications of this trade. His prediction of a 20% increase in the amount of trade done by sea makes it obvious that the most accurate data needs to be available to decision makers. He also discusses an increase in port competition and number of ports visited during a trip, direct results of greater competition in the ocean shipping industry. Added to this, Talley discusses a shift to using containers aboard cargo ships, which has in turn led to a need for faster service from port to port and the use of different shipping lanes. This paper is important for its lack in environmental consideration. It did not escape my attention that when lane shifts are suggested as a means of protecting whales, the shipping industry has complained that current lanes have been in use for many years without change.

7 However, in the face of rising costs and sinking profits, container ships are using different lanes that allow them to go faster and stop more often. Remote Sensing of Animals. Gillespie, Thomas W. Progress in Physical Geography, 2001, Vol. 25, Issue 3, pgs Gillespie discusses a shift in the remote sensing methods, from boat and aerial surveys, to satellite tracking. He notes advantages of satellites that include greater coverage areas, better resolutions, and the ability to collect data in any weather or season. Penguins, whales and sea turtles are some of the marine animals that benefit from remote sensing techniques. Gillespie argues that satellite tracking marine mammals is easy because they spend ample time at the sea surface. The sensors used to track whales are equipped with acoustic recording technology and digital cameras. Gillespie s research used archived data sets, both global and regional. This article was important because it shows the rapid increase in technology and decrease in cost that have made GIS and remote sensing so accessible. His predictions for satellite tracking use in the future correspond to those given to me during private conversation with Robert Kenney. Right Whales (Eubalaena glacialis) on Jeffrey s Ledge: A Habitat of Unrecognized Importance? Weinrich et al, Marine Mammal Science 2000, Vol. 16, Issue 2, pgs Weinrich et al used twenty years of aerial and boat surveys from Jeffrey s Ledge off the coast of Massachusetts to supplement their data on this study site. The greatest concentrations of right whales were seen in this area in October, as right whales move in between the calving and feeding grounds in the fall. Their research provided a review of data collected in Jeffrey s Ledge that had not yet been identified as an area with significant right whale concentration. The success of this study was partly due to the fact that Weinrich, Kenney and Hamilton collaborated with area institutions such as the New England Aquarium, along with the National Marine Fisheries Service, to compile data from various sources. Once they combined the data, they could remove those observations that corresponded to the same whale as it moved through the different study sights. Their findings suggest that Jeffrey s Ledge finds right whales in transit, making them especially susceptible to ship strikes. I think the most interesting part about the conclusions drawn in this study is that the researchers used mostly data that had been collected up to ten years earlier. I question whether the shipping lanes in this area have remained the same and why Jeffrey s Ledge was not examined earlier, given the data was available.